Disc drive memory systems store digital information that is recorded on concentric tracks on a magnetic disc medium. At least one disc is rotatably mounted on a spindle, and the information, which can be stored in the form of magnetic transitions within the discs, is accessed using read/write heads or transducers. A drive controller is typically used for controlling the disc drive system based on commands received from a host system. The drive controller controls the disc drive to store and retrieve information from the magnetic discs. The read/write heads are located on a pivoting arm that moves radially over the surface of the disc. The discs are rotated at high speeds during operation using an electric motor located inside a hub or below the discs. Magnets on the hub interact with a stator to cause rotation of the hub relative to the stator. One type of motor has a spindle mounted by means of a bearing system to a motor shaft disposed in the center of the hub. The bearings permit rotational movement between the shaft and the sleeve, while maintaining alignment of the spindle to the shaft.
Disc drive memory systems are being utilized in progressively more environments besides traditional stationary computing environments. Recently, these memory systems are incorporated into devices that are operated in mobile environments including digital cameras, digital video cameras, video game consoles and personal music players, in addition to portable computers. These mobile devices are frequently subjected to various magnitudes of mechanical shock as a result of handling. As such, performance and design needs have intensified.
Disc drives presently utilize a spindle motor having a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) situated between a shaft and sleeve to support a hub and a disc for rotation. In a hydrodynamic bearing, a lubricating fluid is provided between a fixed member bearing surface and a rotating member bearing surface of the disc drive. Because the two surfaces which form the gap of the hydrodynamic bearing are not mechanically separated, the potential for surface impact exists. Such impacts could occur when the motor supported by the bearing is at rest, or even more damaging, when a shock to the system occurs while the motor is either stopped or spinning. Over time, such impacts could wear down a region on one of the bearing surfaces, altering the pressure distribution and reducing bearing efficiency or induce catastrophic failure due to surface damage like galling. Moreover, particles could be generated by the scraping of one side against the other, which particles would continue to be carried about by the fluid. Such particles could build up over time, scraping the surfaces which define the hydrodynamic bearing, or being expelled into the region surrounding the motor where they could easily damage the disc recording surface.
Air bubbles are also a concern in the case of hydrodynamic bearings, since air bubbles may cause fluid pressure inconsistencies within the hydrodynamic bearing. Further, during operation, the air bubbles may expand, reducing the average viscosity of the hydrodynamic bearing fluid increasing wobble or run-out between the rotating and fixed members. More specifically, in fluid dynamic bearings, an important goal is low non-repeatable runout (NRR) to optimize tracking and track density. In a fluid dynamic bearing motor, one potential source of NRR is the presence of air in the grooved regions of the bearing, causing lubricant pressure instability and consequential rotor displacement. The presence of air in the bearing lubricant can result from air ingestion due to a combination of conditions including thermal contraction of the lubricant and part tolerances such as cylindrical taper in a journal bearing or symmetrically formed bearing grooves. Due to the lubricant's tendency to flow throughout the bearing due to pressure gradients caused by part tolerances, air bubbles can be swept into the grooved regions of the bearing, resulting in NRR events.